12 Foolproof Ways to Make a Restaurant Less Costly

Starting up a restaurant business is a great feeling, especially when you have a constant flow of customers and business is good.

But the stark reality is that even if a restaurant gets a good start in terms of its patronage, it can just as easily hit the wall if its finances aren’t managed properly.

We get it, you’re a restaurateur, not an accountant. But a solid financial plan is not as daunting as it might seem.

It basically comes down to two key types of expenses:

• One-time costs; and
• Recurring expenses.

Most budding restaurateurs manage to get a handle on the one-time costs – raising the set-up capital, buying the big-ticket items for the kitchen, furniture and so on.

But they often neglect to account for the pesky recurring costs – wages, training, marketing, ad infinitum. It’s the Achilles’ Heel of many an otherwise successful business. Following your initial restaurant business plan will help you to save up and make the running of your restaurant less costly.

One-Off Costs

Licences

When setting up a restaurant, there are generally a number of licenses you need to have before opening. In New Zealand, you must first find out from local government if you have consented to start a restaurant business in the chosen location.

Once this is done, you must apply for food registration. Many agencies work together to ensure your restaurant follows the standards set when it comes to food safety. Finally, depending on your business plan, apply for an alcohol license which allows you to serve alcoholic drinks at your establishment.

Payment for Restaurant Location

When looking for restaurant real estate, make sure you have all the required funds to secure the location. You must put into consideration the location accessibility, the human traffic in that area and any legal costs you need to pay before locking down the location. This must be part of your business plan.

Building Costs

Once you have secured the location, the next step is to build the restaurant or make renovations if there is an existing building in place. Connect with an experienced contractor who will be able to give you a clear picture of how much you will spend on this project and help you to save by costing only the mandatory projects.

Restaurant Furniture

When the building and all legal documents are good to go, it’s time to look at what kind of restaurant furniture you want to buy. In addition to furniture, you should also factor in costs for interior and exterior design to make your restaurant appealing to customers. When choosing furniture, budget for quality pieces that will last for a long time without worrying about replacing them. Remember in the long run cheap is expensive.

Kitchen Equipment

One of the most important things you must budget for is kitchen equipment. It’s advisable to research on the newest types of kitchen equipment that will boost your business. When unsure of what type of kitchen equipment to buy, you can visit supplier directory sites. For example, the Restaurant Association of New Zealand has a list of reputable suppliers you can contact. Keep an eye out for special offers to help you save.

Recurring Expenses

Employee Costs

Alsco’s Smart Managed Garment System

Part of your financial plan should include employee costs, which include salaries, benefits and other relevant costs like uniforms. You must have an idea from the outset how many staff members you want on your team. This will make it far easier when planning for their salaries and other costs.

Make sure you do not over-employ to avoid wasting funds on labour. In addition, to keep up-front costs to a minimum, consider a Managed Uniform Rental Service to keep your staff looking clean and professional at all times.

Licence Costs

It’s important to find out which licenses are a one-time expense and which are recurring. This will let you plan well ahead and avoid nasty and potentially costly surprises. One way to keep this simple is to set up an arrangement with your bank to transfer the funds to the relevant government bodies on a set date.

Staff Training

Aside from the initial training and onboarding session when staff join the team, you must keep in mind that continuous training should be budgeted for. When there are changes to the software or equipment in the restaurant, time must be put into refresher training for all staff. This will ensure that work flows smoothly. When planning for training, ensure that sessions are mandatory for all staff members to avoid wasting time and funds on repeat training for absent staff.

Food Ingredients and Alcohol

This is the largest expense for any restaurant. While it can’t be fully captured in your initial business plan, you need to set aside funds to replenish supplies regularly. According to research done by the University of Otago, food wastage is a major factor for many restaurants. The research found that 46% of waste in restaurants was what consumers left on the plate, while preparation waste and food spoilage stood at 36% and 21%, respectively.

To keep waste to a minimum, close monitoring of food during preparation is vital. This will allow you to determine what to order and how much to spend at any given time on food supplies.

Menu Changes

This is a less common recurring cost for a restaurant, but must not be ignored. You must keep in mind that menu changes mean a change in the supplies ordered for your restaurant. It also includes design changes for every menu change done. To avoid consumer plate waste, revise your menu to have reasonable serving portions. Also, to keep design and printing costs low, choose simple but classy designs which aren’t too costly.

Marketing

Businesses tend to assume that marketing is a one time expense prior to launch. But it’s wise to set aside some funds for periodic marketing of your restaurant. The reason why regular marketing is important is that you need to keep in touch with your customers about menu changes, special events and offers and to keep your brand top-of-mind. To keep the marketing budget manageable, make good use of social media and email marketing to keep customers informed.

Technology and Equipment

It’s also important to note that regardless of the initial planning for equipment and technology, there will be some recurring costs as you go along. You must closely monitor your equipment and furniture to ensure that you are able to replace when necessary. Restaurant software and other technology should also be upgraded from time to time to ensure smooth business management.

Photo: epicantus

What Do Overalls Protect You From?

Overalls can protect their wearers from many possibly harmful or unwanted influences from their environment, provided that they choose the right size. It is important to note that not all overalls protect you from all these influences. Their ability to protect depends on the overalls design and material.

In other words, you cannot simply buy any type of overalls for your employees and hope that it will guard them against burns.

In order to be an effective defence against fire or water, the material of the overalls needs to be treated in a special way. The same goes for protection against some chemicals.

However, here are some of the things that good overalls can protect you from:

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• Cold temperatures
• Excessive heat
• Certain chemicals
• Fire

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• Water
• Stains and splatters
• Accidents (hi vis overalls)

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To protect you from accidents, the overalls have to have hi vis properties. This means that they need to have fluorescent materials and reflective tape on them, according to the New Zealand standards AS/NZS 4602.1.2011 and AS/NZS 1906.4.2010.

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How do you know whether your overalls meet all the standards for certain use? You can simply ask those that already have a ton of experience with different kinds of overalls. Alsco New Zealand rents a wide range of overalls for different purposes. We can advise you and help you make the best choice.

After all, overalls are important! Why? Let’s discuss it a bit and explain.

Why Are Overalls Important?

Safety is the primary reason why a company would make sure their employees have good and appropriate work overalls. However, that is not the only reason why you should invest in these protective uniforms. Overalls in NZ workplaces are important because they offer:

• Protection – Of course, the first function of overalls is to protect. However, they don’t protect only the body of the wearer. Overalls can be used to protect the clothing, as well. If your employees work with food, for example, their overalls can be used to protect their everyday wear from spatters and spills.
• Temperature regulation – There are stuffed overalls that are excellent for cold days or night shifts. They keep their wearers warm. In the mining industry, they are especially important, since the underground conditions usually mean low temperatures. On the other hand, breathable fabrics are also available for overalls. That makes them perfect for warmer climates.
• Visibility – Hi-visibility overalls are important for those occupations that work alongside highways, as well as those that are first responders. Visibility of such overalls is achieved with the combination of fluorescent fabrics and reflective tapes. If there is only fluorescent fabric used, the overalls are to be used only during daytime. The hi-vis overalls that have reflective tape can be used during nighttime, as well.
• Brand exposure – Overalls cover a big portion of the wearer’s body. Surely, there is enough space on that amount of fabric for a company logo or a brand name. Just make sure, if you want to put a logo on hi-vis overalls, there has to be a minimum of fluorescent material visible.

The purpose and the function of overalls are now clear, but have you ever wondered about their name? The answer is quite simple.

Why Are overalls Called Overalls?

The etymology of the word “overalls” is pretty much transparent. It is a piece of clothing that covers the rest of your clothing. In other words, it goes “over-all-other-clothes”. However, it didn’t start that way.

The first commercially made “overalls” were actually jeans with suspenders. Levi Strauss, the inventor of jeans initially intended for them to be used as protective work overalls. They were meant to be a sort of waist-high overalls.

Work overalls had to wait for their upper part all until 1900s. Harry David Lee created this type of overalls by connecting the pants and the shirt. He also added the straps that went over shoulders to support the garment.

While they were designed to be overalls for men, they were also used as overalls for women and even kids. In time, the versatile use of overalls grew and they are now present in many industries.

Different purposes of overalls led to different overall designs and different overalls types. The most common type of overalls being the coveralls. What is the difference?

What Is the Difference Between Coveralls and Overalls?

There are two versions of this answer. Some will say that the difference is only a matter of regional language. “Coveralls” is mainly an American word, while in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the word used for the same garment are “overalls”. Another word for “overalls” is “dungaree”

There is another definition of what is overalls and what is coveralls. Some people think that overalls include connected trousers, bib and over shoulder straps or suspenders.

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On the other hand, coveralls also include a shirt with sleeves. Coveralls are also sometimes referred to as boilersuit. However, in New Zealand, you can expect the words “overalls” and “coveralls” to be used interchangeably.

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Spruce Green

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Red

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Royal Blue

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Therefore, you are safe with using overalls and coveralls for the same type of garment, but you would have to make it clear whether you need the overalls that have the sleeves or not, just in case.

What Are Duck Bib Overalls?

Instead of just overalls or coveralls, you will also hear the term “duck bib overalls”. This is what a lot of people think about when they say “overalls”. This is the type of overalls with pants, bib and braces, but made out of special duck fabric.

Duck fabric is actually cotton duck fabric. This is a type of plain-weave canvas that is much softer to the touch than the regular canvas, but with all the durability and sturdiness. It also has a higher thread count than plain canvas.

These types of overalls are quote versatile in their use, but they are not to be used in situations when the fire retardant properties are necessary. These overalls are good for occupations where the minimal to moderate protection is needed and their main goal is to help protect the clothes from dirt and wear and tear.

Therefore, if you are interested in work overalls for different industries, your better bet are polycotton or cotton overalls or even hi-visibility coveralls. All of these clothing items can be found in Alsco New Zealand’s range of products.

When browsing the Alsco NZ range of overalls and coveralls, focus on the material and the purpose of this garment. If you are not sure which one is the best for your line of work, contact Alsco NZ representatives and ask them. They will gladly answer all your questions.

What you needn’t worry about is maintenance and laundering. When you rent the overalls from Alsco NZ, it involves paying a flat annual rate. This flat rate also involves regular laundering and maintenance of your overalls.

You just need to make sure they are in one place, so Alsco NZ representatives can pick them up and deliver the freshly cleaned and ironed ones to replace them. This will happen as often as you like.

Call Alsco New Zealand today and discuss your needs for work overalls, so our representatives can help you with your choices and make sure you are pleased to work with us.

Benefits Of Workwear That Will Convince Everyone

Work uniforms are becoming pretty fashionable these days in the business world. Not only in the restaurants, hotels and manufacturing – companies in other industries are joining the trend as well.

Every good manager will confirm that workwear is one of the essential ways to protect workers against dirt, grease and other things they come in contact with during their working hours.

But apart from their protective role, work uniforms are also very good in promoting brands and conveying a sense of professionalism and dignity.

This article will present you with some really appealing reasons why you should consider introducing uniforms to your workplace, as well as provide you with a list of possible concerns your employees may have about that move.

With a managed industrial clothing rental service such as the one offered by Alsco, the industry leader in uniform rentals, the entire business with uniforms is made much easier and more practical.

Why Do Workers Resist Wearing Work Uniforms?

Despite these advantages, employees often resist the idea of uniforms. However, Alsco can help you overcome their resistance through better design and features.

They Can Be Expensive to Purchase and Maintain

Many business owners consider it a fact that uniforms present a continuous expense. After all, they need to be clean and look presentable all the time, and this costs money.

While this may be true in some scenarios, it is certainly possible to avoid any unnecessary costs by considering a managed rental service. Companies such as Alsco offer great deals – you pay for uniforms once and you don’t have to worry about expenses ever again! Alsco makes sure your uniforms are always kept in perfect shape.

They Can Make Work More Difficult

If not designed and sized properly, uniforms may hamper work. Uniforms with long loose sleeves that keep dipping into food are no-good for waiters. Alsco has many form-fitting, careful thought of uniforms for different jobs designed by experts to help promote efficiency at work.

They Limit Expression

Some employees may consider uniforms to hinder their ability to express themselves through their clothes. This is why it’s important to pick a supplier with a wide range of modern uniform styles. You can’t please everyone, but picking a fashionable uniform will go a long way in making most of your employees happy to wear it.

What Makes Work Uniforms So Useful?

Industrial apparel serves many useful purposes – for both the businesses and the employees.

They Keep Workers Safe and Protected

In industries such as the construction or mining, workwear such as hi-vis clothing and hard caps can ensure that the employees are visible and protected. Employees feel safer and are able to work more productively without having to constantly be concerned about their safety.

The clothing for certain jobs is designed keeping in mind the specific requirements of these jobs. Chef’s jackets are a perfect example of this. They have pockets in specific areas, are full sleeved to offer protection and made from materials which allow for food stains to be cleaned easily.

They Help Build Recognition and Trust

Workwear helps establish good image of the company in the minds of its clients and associates. Uniforms are great in building trust and helping people recognize your brand and your values. They are especially efficient for industries in which workers pay visits to households and other companies, such as product delivery, pest control, etc.

They Make Employees Easily Distinguishable

A uniform also makes it easier for the customers distinguish and identify the employees of the establishment from its clients. This is very useful in hotels, restaurant, busy airports, bus terminals, etc. A customer knows exactly who he needs to approach for any query or assistance without having to wonder if the other person isn’t another customer like them.

They Help Promote Your Brand

Uniforms with logos of the company are great branding and marketing tools. Every time an employee of yours steps out in public, they turn into a walking billboard. Uniforms can have everything from the company name, logo and the corporate slogan on them. They will almost always have at least one of the above.

They Improve Your Professional Image

Nothing spells professionalism quite like a tidy, modern uniform. It promotes cleanliness and speaks to clients about how reliable and organized your company is. This is one of the main reasons why hospitality industry loves workwear so much.

They Help Team Bonding

The common workwear helps iron out intra-team differences since no one is wearing different clothes which reflect the different ethnicities, race or status of the team members. Teams bond better.

Starbucks employees across the world can be recognised by their trademark uniform, regardless of which country you go to. This helps the organisation to deliver a message of consistency in service quality across the globe.

They Establish Common Identity

Uniforms help to foster a sense of pride in their jobs and a sense of belonging to an organisation. A common identity helps work towards common goals. Sports teams, in particular, are associated with their team uniforms and colours which are a symbol of their pride. The same philosophy applies at workplaces too.

Talk To Professionals

The most difficult step in introduction of workwear to your company is the first step – deciding to do it in the first place. After you make this decision, the rest is much easier – companies like Alsco are available to take most of the responsibilities for workwear maintenance away from you, so that you can focus only on the positive aspects of your decision.

If you have any doubts about what the best thing to do would be, or you are not clear on how a managed rental service functions, get in touch with Alsco’s experts and expect to receive some well-informed advice. Get your own customised quote today.

Photo: Pixabay

Why Use Alsco Uniforms and Workwear?

Few managers dispute the fact that a quality uniform is the number one way to protect employees from heavy soil, grease and grime, or to present a crisp, clean, dignified image to customers.

Today Alsco has literally millions of customers of all sizes around the world who have come to rely on us to make them look better and operate more efficiently with a Managed Workwear Program.

Here are a few of the reasons why securing uniform services from Alsco makes such good sense.

Economy and Value

With Alsco’s managed workwear program there is no costly initial investment. Our systems allow you to reduce uniform and image wear to a convenient, predictable budget item. Alsco takes care of the day to day management including washing, repairing and presentation, eliminating this time-consuming task from your staff and management. We get your new employees into a clean, fresh uniform from virtually day one.

Quality and Flexibility

Our workwear comes in a wide selection of fabrics, styles and colours, from tough overalls to smart corporate image wear, cotton drill for hot humid environments to polyester/cotton blends for stain resistance and lighter weight requirements.

We offer you the expertise of our in-house design department, and a guarantee of superior, quality garments, personalised company identity and short lead times on additional uniforms.

Service and Support

We will repair, maintain and replace your uniforms, size your people (or teach you how to size workwear), install secure locker systems, soiled garment bins and provide standard operating procedure wall charts, assign specific individuals to manage accounts and regularly meet with customers to ensure the best solution is always achieved.

The bottom line is:

Alsco can tailor an effective program to suit your specific needs.
We do the work while you maintain total control. Contact us now to get started!